What Can SAFEFOODERA do for EFSA?

1. What Can SAFEFOODERA do for EFSA? GEOFFREY PODGERExecutive Director EFSA

2. What EFSA Can Do Contribute to improved EU food safety by: • Improving the way that EU risk assessment is carried out • Increasing consumer confidence in EU risk assessments • Ensuring close collaboration between national bodies and EFSA • Enabling improved collaboration between the many different stakeholders and coordinating their input • Providing the right information to consumers at the right time • Providing the right information to government, industrial, NGO and other stakeholders at the right time SAFEFOODERA – 2 SEPTEMBER 2005 - BERGEN

3. What EFSA Cannot Do • Be responsible for food safety/nutrition policy and legislation • Take charge of food safety controls, labelling or other such issues • Act as a substitute for national authorities • Solve all the problems of the world! SAFEFOODERA – 2 SEPTEMBER 2005 - BERGEN

4. EFSA Staff • Increased from c. 20 (Feb 2003) to c. 150(May 2005) • Genuinely multinational and multicultural • National secondees SAFEFOODERA – 2 SEPTEMBER 2005 - BERGEN

5. Scientific Expert Panels • Established from June 2003 • c260 + opinions already produced • 170 opinions expected 2005 • Open meetings • Disclosure of interest • Further support from creation of ScientificExpert Services SAFEFOODERA – 2 SEPTEMBER 2005 - BERGEN

6. Coping with the Scientific Workload • Prioritisation • Separation between issues requiring formal opinions and those needing internal advice • Creation and use of expert networks • Greater use of European scientific institutions to take over parts of workload SAFEFOODERA – 2 SEPTEMBER 2005 - BERGEN

7. EFSA Relations with National Authorites - I Fundamental Principles • EFSA and National Authorities are not in a position of hierarchical dependency • EFSA has obligation to co-ordinate work with national authorities • EFSA is the final arbiter on certain EU dossiers • National issues remain for national authorities • Member States have right to put issues to EFSA • Formation of Advisory Forum SAFEFOODERA – 2 SEPTEMBER 2005 - BERGEN

8. EFSA Relations with National Authorities - II EFSA Scientific Opinions • EFSA Scientific Opinions are independent and not subject to agreement by National Authoritiesbut • There is an obvious need: (a) to ensure that national authorities can input into the work of the EFSA Scientific Committee/Panels; (b) to enable national authorities to comment on opinions issued in draft for general comment; c) to seek to avoid duplication of effort, where possible and desirable. SAFEFOODERA – 2 SEPTEMBER 2005 - BERGEN

9. EFSA Relations with National Authorities - III Food Crisis/”Food Scare” • EFSA has role in assisting the Commission • EFSA involvement will depend on nature of crisis • EFSA would wish to involve national food authorities in risk assessements outside formal “opinions” • Investment in crisis scenario rehearsals SAFEFOODERA – 2 SEPTEMBER 2005 - BERGEN

10. EFSA Relations with National Authorities - IV Communication • Effective EU communication requires full involvement of national authorities • National authorities given advance notice of EFSA announcements • Investment in technology to improve communication between EFSA and national authorities • Formation of Advisory Forum Working Group on Communication SAFEFOODERA – 2 SEPTEMBER 2005 - BERGEN

11. What has been gained by establishing EFSA – an EFSA view - I Independence No credible suggestion of political, industry or NGO influence; EFSA has been ready to raise and publicize difficult issues; Much co-operative working with other EU Institutions including the Commission. SAFEFOODERA – 2 SEPTEMBER 2005 - BERGEN

12. What has been gained by establishing EFSA – an EFSA view - II Openness/Transparency EFSA MB Meetings webstreamed and public admitted; High level of website information on completed and ongoing work; EFSA has engaged with all stakeholders with a legitimate interest as its resources allow. Communications High level of activity (including with MS); Difficult issues successfully handled (eg semicarbazide, BSE in goats) High quality publication SAFEFOODERA – 2 SEPTEMBER 2005 - BERGEN

13. What has been gained by establishing EFSA – an EFSA view - III Relations with national authorities Creation of real sense of common purpose involving EFSA and all national food authorities Backed up by improved IT systems and preparation for future crisis Evolving approach to rational definition of responsibilities An identity of its own A separate culture from other EU Institutions Inception of wider networks A home of its own (Parma) SAFEFOODERA – 2 SEPTEMBER 2005 - BERGEN

14. EFSA SAFEFOODERA • Provision of Scientific Opinions, Guidance and Advice (e.g. answering Q’s from EC, EP, MS and ‘own-initiatives’); • Assessing the risk of regulated substances and development of proposals for risk-related factors; • Monitoring of specific risk factors and diseases; • Development, promotion and application of new and harmonized scientific approaches and methodologies for hazard and risk assessment of food and feed SAFEFOODERA – 2 SEPTEMBER 2005 - BERGEN

15. EFSA SAFEFOODERA ALSO: • Co-ordination at European level of collection and evaluation of relevant scientific and technical data (e.g. acrylamide, furan, PAH, dioxins, pesticide residues, …) • Identification and evaluation of emerging risks • Establishing a network of competent organisations in EU Member States operating within the fields of EFSA’s mission (Art. 36 of Regulation (EC) 178/2002) To become a point of reference in risk assessment and risk communication in the area of food / feed safety SAFEFOODERA – 2 SEPTEMBER 2005 - BERGEN

16. EFSA SAFEFOODERA • Updates on trends and developmentsin national or regional research programmes in the area of food and feed safety • Informing EFSA about emerging issues in the area of food and feed production, consumption and safety • Informing EFSA about research priorities at national and regional level • Implementation of new approaches as proposed by EFSA in the field of data collection and monitoring a national / regional level • Initiating joint activities considered of priority by EFSA SAFEFOODERA – 2 SEPTEMBER 2005 - BERGEN

17. Future challenges • EFSA review 2005 • Prioritisation and workload management • Further staff build-up whilst temporarily split between two locations • Reinforcement of links with national authorities • Continued forging of links beyond the EU • Making a difference : increasing the impact on risk managers SAFEFOODERA – 2 SEPTEMBER 2005 - BERGEN